South Africa's government has recently announced a new remote working visa program aimed at attracting skilled workers to the country. The proposed visa program, along with other initiatives, will make it easier for skilled immigrants to work in South Africa.

While this initiative is seen as a potential win for organizations looking to acquire scarce skills, it has raised concerns among citizens regarding its realistic implementation. Experts warn that the success of the new proposals seeking to attract skilled workers will depend on the crucial implementation and overcoming issues such as backlogs and rejection rates.

In this blog post, we will explore the details of the new visa program and the concerns that citizens have raised about its implementation, as well as examine the broader context of immigration policy in South Africa.

New Visa Program Announced for Skilled Workers in South Africa

South Africa might not have the most powerful passport, but it has recently announced a new remote working visa program aimed at attracting skilled workers to the country. The proposed visa program has raised concerns among citizens about its feasibility and potential impact on local employment opportunities.

President Cyril Ramaphosa announced the new remote working visa program during his State of the Nation Address, stating that the country needs more skilled workers. The program is intended to allow critical skills to enter the country and work here temporarily. However, the lack of specific details and timelines for the program has left citizens sceptical about its feasibility.

One of the main concerns raised by citizens is that the new visa program will take away job opportunities from locals. 

According to a recent survey by Xpatweb, over 80% of businesses in South Africa struggle to recruit talent locally and must rely on overseas workers. While the new visa program may help address this shortage of skills, citizens worry that it will come at the expense of local employment opportunities.

Another concern is the backlog in the current visa system. The failure of the Central Adjudication system in 2022 has left many ex-pats without visas. Citizens worry that the new visa program will exacerbate the existing backlog and make it even harder for locals and ex-pats alike to secure visas.

Despite these concerns, some experts believe that the new visa program could be beneficial for both businesses and workers. Marisa Jacobs, the managing director at Xpatweb, stated that the visa would be a win for organizations that are desperate to acquire scarce skills. She warned, however, that implementation of the key proposals is crucial for actual change to occur as fast as needed.

The Proposals Presented by Ramaphosa

More Flexible Points-based System

Ramaphosa also proposed a more flexible points-based system, used by places like Canada, which assigns points to selected criteria, such as education level, years of experience, wealth, and more. 

"If the accumulated points pass a minimum threshold, a candidate qualifies to enter the country," said Marisa Jacobs, the managing director at Xpatweb. Making this more flexible will allow for faster entry of suitably qualified candidates.

Trusted Employer Scheme

Ramaphosa also proposed a trusted employer scheme to make the visa process easier for large investors. The Department of Home Affairs already launched its Corporate Accounts Unit in 2014, dedicated to servicing corporates and multinationals based in South Africa.

"This certainly seems like an extension of that function to make it easier for these companies who need to bring in skills regularly and on an ongoing basis, so it is an outstanding development," said Jacobs.

Bleaker outlook

Jacobs also warned that the realities of the proposals are far bleaker than they set out to be. There is a major backlog due to the failure of the Central Adjudication system in 2022, which left a large number of ex-pats without visas. 

Additionally, a tightening of the immigration regime over the last 12 months has made it much harder to secure a work visa, and it takes much longer now for applications to be processed. Rejection rates have also reached the highest rate in the last 15 years, often for arbitrary reasons. Therefore, implementation is crucial to the success of new proposals seeking to attract skilled workers.

Conclusion

While the proposed visa program in South Africa may have good intentions of attracting skilled workers, there are concerns about its feasibility and implementation. The country will need to address issues such as backlogs and tightening immigration regulations to make the program successful.

FAQS

How will the proposed points-based system work?

The proposed points-based system in South Africa will assign points to selected criteria such as education level, years of experience, wealth, and more. If the accumulated points pass a minimum threshold, a candidate qualifies to enter the country.

Why is there concern about the feasibility of the program?

There are concerns about the feasibility of the program due to issues such as backlogs and tightening immigration regulations. There is also a need for proper implementation of the proposals to make the program successful.